Fun with Firefighters

About two weeks ago, B and I went to the associate party at a fellow attorney's house. When we pulled up, some folks were standing outside and said we couldn't go in. We laughed and said whatever, and then they said, no really, you can't go in, the carbon monoxide detector is going off and the fire department is on the way. Sure enough, a big fire truck pulled up a few minutes later to check it out. They brought a full crew in a full size truck, and the guys let us explore it while a few went inside with the carbon monoxide meters. After a few minutes, they came out and gave us the all clear; the detector seemed to be malfunctioning. We then went inside and enjoyed the party.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon at our own house. B went upstairs to take a nap, and I was watching Band of Brothers in the basement. Suddenly she called me up and said, the carbon monoxide detector in our bedroom is going off. I thought maybe she was playing a prank on me, as what are the odds of that happening twice in one weekend?!? However, it really WAS going off, and we weren't sure what to do. I changed the batteries but it kept beeping and telling us there was a carbon monoxide problem. B then called a non-emergency fire department number, and they said to call 911 and get out of the house. So, B called them and we went to sit on the front steps. And once again, we encountered a giant fire truck pulling up to a house! The guys were in full gear, and they went in to check it out. Also once again, the detector was malfunctioning - their meters read zero. Odd. I took the batteries out (the beeping drives Matty crazy), and decided to buy a new detector.

Now that we're back from our NY trip, I decided to try the old one again, just to be sure. Lo and behold, the stupid thing now works fine! I guess I can take the new detector back. I feel a little nervous that maybe I shouldn't risk it, but we have detectors on the main floor and in the basement as well, so I think we will be okay. I hope so anyway, two visits from the fire department is plenty for me - and I'm sure for our neighbors as well. :)

I love our house!

So, as many people know, B and I closed on our new house on April 30, and we moved in on May 16. The move went pretty well - I highly recommend Local Motion, as they did a great job. Probably more expensive than some companies, but all of our stuff arrived in good shape - that's more important to me than saving a few bucks.

Anyway, we LOVE our house! It's not 100% set up yet, as we need to do some real organizing (moving books, hanging wall art, etc.), but I think it looks pretty good. I love the paint colors we chose, and I just love the feel of house. Plus, it already feels like home, which is awesome. We even put up a rainbow flag for Pride - how fun! Oh, the pets seem really happy too.

I thought I would miss Saint Paul, but so far I really don't. Our neighborhood is great - we can walk to great places to eat, we can walk to a great park with a wading pool for Charlie, we can walk to Lake Hiawatha - it's just really great. Our neighbors seem pretty cool too, though B doesn't like that two of them are constantly outside, wanting to chat. They actually invited themselves over one night, which was a little odd. Overall though, things with the house and the neighborhood are great!

In amusing news, we've definitely encountered those first time homeowners situations in which we had no idea what to do about something. For instance, one day B came home and the laundry room floor was all wet. She thought maybe I had mopped before work but quickly realized I hadn't, as there was a standing puddle. After some confusion about where the water came from, we realized the lint filter on the washer hose was so full that when the washer drained, water sprayed all over the laundry room! Not a big deal as the room isn't finished, and really sort of funny. B also figured out how to install a light over the sink - she was frustrated at first but ultimately did a great job. I'm sure we will continue to encounter tons of these situations. I only hope they all go as smoothly as the first ones, but I doubt it! :)

In other home buying news - congrats to Kristin and Danette on the purchase of their new home! Welcome to the club!